NHL Winter Classic

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Winter Classic logo
The 2008 NHL Winter Classic

The NHL Winter Classic (current sponsor name : Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic ) is an open-air ice hockey game of the National Hockey League that has been held annually since 2008 and usually takes place on New Year's Day. The games are regular seasonal games , which are played between selected teams at selected locations and with rules adapted to the weather conditions. Both teams usually wear so-called heritage jerseys (traditional design) and sometimes other accessories that are supposed to remind of the origins of the sport (e.g. woolen hats over the helmet) at these games .

The next NHL Winter Classic is slated to take place on January 1, 2021 at Target Field , the stadium of the Minnesota Twins baseball team in Minneapolis .

As an outdoor event, it ranks alongside the NHL Heritage Classic and the NHL Stadium Series .

history

NHL Winter Classic 2009

After a new attendance record for ice hockey games was set in 2001 in a meeting between the college teams of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing , the National Hockey League decided to play a regular season game outdoors for the first time in 2003. The game took place as the Heritage Classic on November 22, 2003 at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton , Alberta in front of 57,167 spectators. At -18 ° C that beat Montreal Canadiens , the Edmonton Oilers with 4: 3. On September 27, 1991, the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers played a preparation game on the Las Vegas Strip in front of Caesars Palace in front of 13,000 spectators and over 26 ° C. It was the first outdoor game of its kind in the NHL.

NHL Winter Classic 2014 in front of a record crowd

Since 2008 there has been a regular NHL game on New Year's Day as the NHL Winter Classic . The event premiered in 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park , New York, when the Buffalo Sabers and the Pittsburgh Penguins met . This was followed by the Winter Classic 2009 between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field in Chicago , Illinois . The 2010 NHL Winter Classic took place between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park in Boston , Massachusetts .

The Winter Classic 2013 had to be canceled due to the lockout . It was planned for the 100,000-seat Michigan Stadium between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings . The game was therefore only played in 2014 and was the first Winter Classic with Canadian participation. A new record for an ice hockey game was set with 105,491 spectators .

mode

NHL Winter Classic 2010

In contrast to the indoor NHL games, the league allowed some minor rule changes for the outdoor games so that both teams had equal opportunities in adverse conditions. Due to the expected wind, the teams usually switch sides again after half of the final third, so that each team played on one of the two goals for 30 minutes. In the five-minute overtime due to an even score after 60 minutes, both teams change sides again after two and a half minutes. In the shootout , which occurs in the event of a tie after overtime, the two goalkeepers can choose the goal to be defended themselves.

List of games

year Stadion place Home team Result Guest team spectator
2008 Ralph Wilson Stadium Orchard Park , New York Buffalo Sabers 1: 2 SO Pittsburgh Penguins 71,217
2009 Wrigley Field Chicago , Illinois Chicago Blackhawks 4: 6 Detroit Red Wings 40,818
2010 Fenway Park Boston , Massachusetts Boston Bruins 2: 1 OT Philadelphia Flyers 38.112
2011 Heinz Field Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Penguins 1: 3 Washington Capitals 68.111
2012 Citizens Bank Park Philadelphia , Pennsylvania Philadelphia Flyers 2: 3 New York Rangers 46,967
2013 Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor , Michigan Detroit Red Wings called off Toronto Maple Leafs -
2014 Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor , Michigan Detroit Red Wings 2: 3 SO Toronto Maple Leafs 105.491
2015 Nationals Park Washington, DC Washington Capitals 3: 2 Chicago Blackhawks 42,832
2016 Gillette Stadium Foxborough , Massachusetts Boston Bruins 1: 5 Canadiens de Montréal 67,246
2017 Busch Stadium St. Louis , Missouri St. Louis Blues 4: 1 Chicago Blackhawks 46,556
2018 Citi Field New York City , New York Buffalo Sabers 2: 3 OT New York Rangers Note 1 41,821
2019 Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame , Indiana Chicago Blackhawks 2: 4 Boston Bruins 76.126
2020 Cotton Bowl Stadium Dallas , Texas Dallas Stars 4: 2 Nashville Predators 85,630
2021 Target Field Minneapolis , Minnesota Minnesota Wild -: - TBA -
Note 1Although the game took place in New York City, the New York Rangers compete as an away team. This is due to the property tax waiver , which the Rangers have enjoyed for their home ground Madison Square Garden since 1982 and which would expire if they played a home game outside of this arena.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Minnesota will host the Winter Classic 2021 at Target Field. In: nhl.com. National Hockey League , January 1, 2020, accessed January 2, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Kings no Stranger to Outdoor Game ( Memento from July 10, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) (English)
  3. ^ Associated Press : NHL makes slight rule change for outdoor game. In: espn.com. December 29, 2007, accessed March 24, 2018 .
  4. ^ NHL cancels games until mid-December. In: spox.com . November 24, 2012, accessed January 2, 2020 .